Adjustable fit insole system for shoes

ABSTRACT

An adjustable fit insole system for shoes includes an insole member formed of flexible, resilient cushioning material that is removably inserted within the foot-receiving chamber of the shoe, the insole member and the shoe having corresponding heel, arch, ball and toe portions. In order to vary the internal width and girth dimensions of the ball portion of the chamber, a width adjustment pad of a desired thickness and/or hardness is removably connected with the bottom surface of the ball portion of the insole member, thereby to permit the user to customize the fit of the shoe. The top surface of the insole member is contoured to position the foot relative to the insole, and the bottom surface of the heel portion of the insole member is provided with an anti-slip stabilizing arrangement, thereby to prevent sliding movement of the insole member relative to the shoe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

An adjustable fit insole system for shoes includes an insole memberformed of flexible, resilient cushioning material that is removablyinserted within the foot-receiving chamber of a shoe, the insole memberand the shoe having corresponding heel, arch, ball and toe portions. Inorder to vary the internal width and girth dimensions of the ballportion of the chamber, a width adjustment pad of a desired thicknessand/or hardness is removably connected with the bottom surface of theball portion of the insole member, thereby to permit the user tocustomize the fit of the shoe.

2. Description of Related Art

Various constructions and method have been proposed in the prior art forcustomizing the fit of a shoe by the user. In the Antell U.S. Pat. No.3,442,031, a shoe construction is disclosed wherein one or moreremovable auxiliary sole members are provided beneath the sock linerlayer of a shoe for varying the width and girth dimensions of the shoe.The Boisvert et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,157 discloses an adjustable shoeinsole system wherein removable pad layers are provided for specificadjustment of the thickness of various insole areas of the insole,particularly, the arch area, for best fit of the foot inside the shoe.The Sarkozi U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,774 teaches an insole with removablearch and heel pads in the separate areas of the heel and arch portionsof the foot, thereby to provide variable height by the user, and theBauerfeind U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,768 discloses an sole insert having aplurality of recesses for receiving replaceable elastic inserts, therebyto exercise a greater or lesser pressure at the places of the inserts.In the Dalton et al published application No. US 2004/0118017 A1, aninsole having improved cushioning and anatomical centering meanscontains directional air ports for facilitating airflow above and belowthe insole. Two anatomical centering devices serve to direct the footinto proper position over cushioning pads provides in the insole. Aventilating system is also provided in the cushioned ladies shoe of theCastro U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,627.

The present invention was developed to provide an improved user-friendlyremovable cushioning insole construction that affords improved widthadjustment means with comfort and ease of use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide acushioning insole member that is adapted for removable mounting within ashoe or boot, the lower surface of the ball portion of the insole memberbeing provided with a removable width adjusting pad for varying theeffective width and girth of the shoe. The insole member is formed frompolyurethane or other suitable cushioning material that demonstratessuperior shock absorbency, excellent cushioning return, and extendeddurability. The width adjustment pad, which is removably connected withthe insole by a simple hook and loop fastener arrangement, adjusts theoverall girth measurement by adjusting the displacement of thecushioning material within the ball area of the shoe. The thicknessdimension and/or the coefficient of hardness of the width adjusting padmay be varied to customize the shoe in accordance with the requirementsand tastes of the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide the insole member with abellows arrangement that not only produces the flow of air between thetop and bottom surfaces of the insole member, but also providesflexibility adjacent the arch portion of the user's foot. The airchannels and perforation holes, which are the foundation of the air flowsystem, create a bellows effect to force a self-generated airflow forthe user's foot, thereby to produce a cooling moisture—managing andodor—reducing result.

According to another object of the invention, the upper surface of theinsole member is contoured to accommodate the user's foot, andslip-resistant means are provided beneath the heel portion of the insolemember, thereby to prevent displacement of the insole member within thefoot-receiving chamber, and to insure positioning of the width adjustingpad beneath the ball portion of the user's foot. Integral heel knobs ornubs provide consistent fit and cooling airflow within the shank area ofthe shoe.

The width and girth adjustment is very easy and consumer friendly. Inthe case where the removable insole is initially sold together with theshoe or boot, the consumer can easily and quickly—and without lengthyinstruction, tools, glue or other element—remove the insole member fromthe shoe, remove or substitute another width adjustment pad, andreinsert the insole member in the foot chamber of the shoe. When theinsole member is sold in a package separate from the shoe, widthadjusting pads of different thicknesses and/or coefficients of hardnessmay be provided which permit ready customization of the shoe.

The present invention provides to a broader consumer audience greaterpersonal comfort and fit, together with lower shoe inventories. Theinsole member is suitable for use with all types of men's, women's andchildren's footwear, including dress, casual, school, work, service andmilitary footwear. The adjustable fit system affords superior shockabsorption, excellent durability, and is washable and anti-microbial.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent froma study of the following specification, when viewed in the light of theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of the insole assembly of the presentinvention, and

FIG. 2 is a corresponding view with the adjustable width pad removed;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the adjustable width pad of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views of two other embodiments of theadjustable width pad of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 1, illustratingthe insole assembly inserted within the foot chamber of a shoe;

FIGS. 8-10 are transverse sectional views of the insole taken alonglines 8-8, 9-9, and 10-10, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the insole assembly takenalong line 11-11 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 12-14 are top plan, left side elevation, and right side elevationviews, respectively, of the insole member of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring first more particularly to FIGS. 1-4, the adjustable fitinsole member 2 is formed from a suitable flexible cushioning material,such as polyurethane, and includes a heel portion 4, an arch portion 6,a ball portion 8, and a toe portion 10. In accordance with acharacterizing feature of the present invention, a flexible adjustablewidth pad 12 formed of a synthetic plastic material, such as ethyl vinylacetate, is removably fastened to the bottom (i.e., “street”) surface ofthe ball portion 8 of the insole member 2. To this end, the bottomsurface of the insole member 2 contains a shallow recess 14 in which issecured (by a layer of suitable adhesive, for example) one fasteningcomponent 16 of conventional hook and loop fastener means. As shown inFIG. 4, the top surface 12 a of the pad 12 is formed as the loop orweave component of the hook and loop fastener means, and the bottom orstreet surface of the pad 12 b is smooth. The pad 12 has a giventhickness t₁ such that the bottom surface 12 b extends downwardly belowthe bottom surface 2 a of the insole member, as will be explained ingreater detail below.

The bottom surface of the heel portion of the insole member is providedwith a plurality of integral downwardly extending nubs 20, which serveto stabilize the heel portion of the insole member relative to the heelportion of the associated shoe.

In accordance with another important feature of the invention, the archportion 6 of the insole member is provided with ventilating means 22that provide a flow of air between the bottom and top surfaces of theinsole member adjacent the arch portion of the insole member. Moreparticularly, the bottom surface of the insole member contains aplurality of transversely extending longitudinally spaced grooves 24that are alternately arranged between corresponding flexure ribs 26.Perforations or apertures 28 are provided in the bottom walls of thegrooves 24 and extend completely through the insole member.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-14, it will be seen that the top surface 2 bof the insole member is contoured to define an upwardly extendingcorresponding curved sidewall 2 c that extends around the heel portion4, both the inner and outer side edges of the arch portion 6, andpartially into the ball portion 8 of the insole member. This contouredsidewall 2 c serves to position at least the heel and arch portions ofthe foot of the user relative to the heel portion 4 of the insole member2. As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 9, and 13, the inside edge portions ofthe ventilating grooves 24 extend upwardly from the bottom surface ofthe insole member into the outer surface of the adjacent arch sidewallportion 2 c. As will be described in greater detail below, the flexuregrooves 24 and flexure ribs 26 define a bellows means for pumping airthrough the apertures 28, thereby to effect the flow of air between thebottom and top surfaces 2 a and 2 b of the insole member during walkingby the user.

As shown in FIGS. 8, 11, and 13, the upper surface 2 b of the insolemember may be covered by a layer 30 of a brushed polyester covermaterial that is adhesively secured to the upper surface of the insolemember.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the insole member 2 is adapted for removableinsertion within the foot-receiving chamber 40 of a shoe 42. The shoe 42includes an upper member 44 that is secured to the sole member 46. Atthe ball portion of the shoe, the foot-receiving chamber 40 has aninternal width dimension w, and a corresponding girth dimension. Theupper surface 2 b of the insole member 2 is spaced a given distance hfrom the upper surface 46 a of the cushioning insole member 46, asdetermined by the thickness t₁ of the adjustable width pad. Thus, if theadjustable width pad 12 were to be replaced by a pad 112 of greaterthickness t₂ as shown in FIG. 5, the effective width w of the shoe (FIG.7) would be reduced. Of course, if the pad 12 of FIG. 1 were to beremoved form the insole member as shown in FIG. 2, the effective width wof the shoe would be increased. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, amulti-layer adjustable width pad 212 consisting of a plurality ofstrippable layers may be provided having an initial relatively largethickness t₃, thereby to effect a given initial relatively narrow shoewidth. By removing one or more of the strippable layers, a widenedeffective width dimension may be achieved as desired.

Furthermore, in accordance with an important advantage of the invention,the adjustable width pads may have different coefficients of hardness,whereby a softer or harder pad may be substituted for an original pad.Thus, if desired, a pad formed from a suitable gel material could besubstituted for a pad formed of ethylene vinyl acetate or similarsynthetic plastic material.

It is to be noted that in addition to providing a certain degree offlexibility at the inside arch portion of the insole assembly, theflexure ribs 26 and associated grooves 24 define a bellows for pumpingair between the bottom and top surfaces of the insole member duringnormal walking operation by the user. This has the advantage ofcirculating air within the foot chamber of the shoe, particularlyadjacent the inside arch region of the shoe chamber.

While in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes thepreferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been illustratedand described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made without deviating from the invention describedabove.

1. An adjustable fit insole system for a shoe having a sole member, andan upper member connected with the sole member to define a foot chamberfor receiving the foot of a user, the ball portion of the foot chamberadjacent the ball portion of the user's foot having given internal widthand girth dimensions, comprising: (a) an insole member adapted forinsertion within the foot chamber, said insole member being molded froma resilient flexible cushioning material and having heel, arch, ball andtoe portions, said insole member having generally horizontal top andbottom surfaces; (b) slip-resistant stabilizing means arranged on thebottom surface of said insole heel portion for engagement with thebottom surface of the foot chamber, thereby to prevent slidingdisplacement of said insole heel portion relative to the shoe; (c)contour means on said insole member top surface for positioning theuser's foot relative to said insole member; (d) a width adjustment padformed of flexible material, said width adjustment pad being arrangedbeneath said insole member ball portion, said width adjustment padhaving a given thickness (t); and (e) connecting means for removablyconnecting said width adjustment pad with said insole member ballportion, thereby to vary the width and girth dimensions of the shoechamber ball portion.
 2. An adjustable fit insole system as defined inclaim 1, wherein said insole member bottom surface contains a recess inwhich said connecting means is mounted, the thickness of said widthadjustment pad being greater that the depth of said recess, whereby thebottom surface of said width adjustment pad protrudes downwardly beyondthe bottom surface of said width adjustment pad for engagement with theassociated bottom surface of the chamber.
 3. An adjustable fit insolesystem as defined in claim 2, wherein said connecting means comprisesseparable hook and loop fastening means.
 4. An adjustable fit insolesystem as defined in claim 3, wherein said fastening means includes ahook fastening component secured to said insole member within saidinsole bottom surface recess; and further wherein said width adjustingpad has a top surface that defines a loop fastening component.
 5. Anadjustable fit insole system as defined in claim 4, wherein saidslip-resistant stabilizing means comprises a plurality of integral nubsthat extend downwardly from the bottom surface of said insole memberheel portion.
 6. An adjustable fit insole system as defined in claim 4,wherein said insole member has inside and outside side edges, and toeand heel edges; and further wherein said contour means including curvedside walls that extend upwardly from at least the heel and side edges ofsaid heel and arch portions of said insole member.
 7. An adjustable fitinsole system as defined in claim 6, wherein said contour means includescurved side walls that extend upwardly from portions of the side edgesof the upper surfaces of said insole member ball portion that areimmediately adjacent said arch portion; and further including: (f)ventilating means for transmitting air between the top and bottomsurfaces of said arch portion of said insole member.
 8. An adjustablefit insole system as defined in claim 7, wherein said ventilating meansincludes bellows means operable during walking by a user of the shoe forpositively displacing air between the insole member bottom and topsurfaces, comprising: (1) means defining in the bottom surface of saidinside side edge portion of said insole arch portion a plurality ofalternate transversely-extending longitudinally-spaced flexure ribs andgrooves, the flexure ribs and grooves extending at one end upwardlywithin the external surface of the adjacent side wall portion; (2) saidgrooves having bottom walls containing a plurality of perforations thatextend between the bottom and top surfaces of said insole member.
 9. Anadjustable fit insole system as defined in claim 1, wherein said insolemember is formed from polyurethane; and further wherein said adjustablefit pad is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of anethyl vinyl acetate synthetic plastic material, or a thermoplasticurethane gel.
 10. An adjustable fit insole system as defined in claim 9,and further including a polyester cover layer secured to the uppersurface of said insole member.
 11. An adjustable fit insole system asdefined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said adjustable fit padshaving different coefficients of hardness are provided, thereby topermit the user to customize the degree of hardness of the ball portionof said insole member as desired.
 12. An adjustable fit insole system asdefined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said adjustable fit padshaving different thicknesses are provided, thereby to permit the user tocustomize the width and girth dimensions of the shoe chamber.
 13. Anadjustable fit insole system as defined in claim 5, and furtherincluding: (g) a sole member; and (h) an upper member connected withsaid sole member to define a foot-receiving chamber having heel, arch,ball and toe portions, said sole member being removably mounted withinsaid foot-receiving chamber, said nubs being in non-slipping engagementwith the adjacent surface of the heel portion of said foot-receivingchamber, said width adjusting pad being in engagement with the adjacentsurface of the ball portion of said foot-receiving chamber.
 14. A shoehaving an adjustable fit insole system, comprising: (a) a sole memberhaving upper and lower surfaces; (b) an upper member secured to saidsole member to define a shoe having a foot-receiving chamber; (c) aninsole member removably inserted within said foot-receiving chamber,said foot-receiving chamber and insole member having corresponding heel,arch, ball and toe portions, said chamber ball portion having giveninternal width (w) and girth dimensions, said insole member being formedof a resilient cushioning material and having top and bottom surfaces;(d) slip-resistant stabilizing means arranged on the bottom surface ofsaid insole member heel portion, said stabilizing means cooperating withthe adjacent bottom surface of said foot-receiving chamber to preventsliding displacement of said insole member heel portion relative to saidshoe; (e) contour means defined on the top surface of said insole memberfor positioning at least the heel and arch portions of the user's footrelative to said insole member; and (f) means for varying the effectivewidth and girth of said chamber ball portion, comprising; (1) a widthadjustment pad arranged beneath the bottom surface of said insole memberball portion, and (2) means releasably connecting said width adjustmentpad with said insole member, said width adjustment pad having such athickness (t) as to cause the bottom surface of said pad to protrudedownwardly for engagement with the adjacent bottom surface of saidchamber.
 15. A shoe as defined in claim 14, and further including: (g)ventilating means including a plurality of perforations contained in thearch portion of said insole member for transmitting the flow of airbetween the bottom and top surfaces of said arch portion of said insolemember.
 16. A shoe as defined in claim 15, wherein said ventilatingmeans includes bellows means operable upon walking by the user of theshoe to pump air between the bottom and top surfaces of said insolemember via said perforations.
 17. A shoe as defined in claim 15, whereinsaid connecting means comprised hook and loop fastener means.
 18. A shoeas defined in claim 17, and further including a plurality of saidadjustable width pads having different coefficients of hardness, saidpads being selectively connected with said insole member to customizethe shoe as desired by the user.
 19. A shoe as defined in claim 17, andfurther including a plurality of said adjustable width pads havingdifferent thicknesses, said pads being selectively connected with saidinsole member to customize the effective width and girth dimensions ofthe shoe as desired by the user.